"Beginning programming books have a lot of overlap," says author Rod Stephens. "They all cover a lot of the same topics. Many of these are important but not central to the book's theme so they are often glossed over. This book focuses on those common topics to provide important background for beginning programmers. By focusing only on these topics, this book can cover them in greater depth than other books can."

For a review copy or more information please email maryr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

About the Author

Rod Stephens, president of Rocky Mountain Computer Consulting, Inc., is the author of more than 20 books and 250 articles about various programming topics. Rod has been a professional developer for more than 20 years during which time he has worked on an eclectic assortment of applications in such diverse fields as telephone billing, fuel taxes, waste water treatment, and professional football. Rod’s VB Helper Web site receives roughly 200,000 visits per month and provides more than 2,000 examples demonstrating specific programming techniques in Visual Basic, while his CSharpHelper Web site contains similar examples for C# programmers. Altogether, Rod’s writing, teaching, programming, and web site experience will be invaluable in making this book far more than a “term and concept” reference—the book will also stand on its own, providing the critical background information that the other books in the series would not have sufficient room to deliver.

About Microsoft Press
Microsoft Press is a division of Microsoft Corporation. Established in 1985, Microsoft Press publishes self-paced learning materials on Microsoft products and associated technologies. Microsoft Press products are available in a variety of formats for individual users, IT professionals, and developers. Since 2009, Microsoft and O'Reilly Media have shared the editorial direction and development of Microsoft Press products. O'Reilly also handles sales, distribution, customer service, and some administrative functions.

About O'Reilly

O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.